


Who's Decline

by jfridley



Series: ScienceBros Week [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 12:07:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11509119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jfridley/pseuds/jfridley
Summary: 6th day's prompt: Eclipse





	Who's Decline

**Author's Note:**

> one of the definitions of eclipse is Falling into Obscurity or decline

_Falling into Obscurity or decline_

Bruce tensed as he read those words, glancing at the sleeping body in the hospital bed then tossing the article on the table.

‘His or mine?’ he thought keeping his eyes on the sleeping form.

“Bruce?” Pepper asked from behind him.

“I am fine” came the automatic response.

“I didn’t ask that” Pepper replied as she came to stand behind his chair. “Go take a walk-I’ll sit with him” she added.

Bruce went to open his mouth to politely refuse but the look in Pepper’s eyes told him not to even try. He sighed hanging his head for a second before standing up.

“30 minutes” Bruce said.

Pepper smirked “30 minutes” she replied as she leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

Bruce slowly walked out of the room, with no real idea of where he was going. He found himself in the kitchen with no memory of the trip there. He opened the fridge looked inside and grabbed a water and granola. He rummaged through the drawer grabbing a spoon, moving to the table and began to eat. Bruce squirmed, not able to get comfortable-it had been a while since he had actually sat at the table. Everyone makes sure he eats, but he can’t bring himself to eat in front of Tony since he’s had to use the feeding tube-so he just runs through the kitchen to grab a snack. Bruce sighed and looked at his watch seeing that only 10 minutes had past. He walked out on the balcony and looked out over the city-remembering a time two years ago, when Tony found him out there after the test results sunk in, wrapping himself against his back as they both cried.

When Tony first started to limp, no one thought anything of it, sprains come with living the super hero life-not to mention Tony Stark's life. But then when Tony started to fall randomly and couldn’t get his leg to work if he had been sitting too long-Bruce got worried. He forced Tony to a doctor, but neither expected the diagnoses that the doctors found. They did what everyone does when they are told they have an incurable disease; they slowed down, went on more vacations, enjoy time with each other and their friends, enjoyed life more. Reality set in when Tony couldn’t walk anymore and had to use a wheelchair; therefore no more iron man. Steve let him help with selecting and training his replacement-but it went downhill from there. It wasn’t long afterward Tony couldn’t hold tools like he use too, and had to start eating softer foods because it was getting hard for him to swallow. Once Tony began choking on food-they decided on a peg tube, for nutrients.

Bruce glanced at his watch and realized 30 minutes had passed. He walked through the house and headed back to their room. It will always be their room-even if they don’t share a bed anymore. He stood in the doorway after Pepper left and watched Tony breath through the machine. Growing up, he never wanted to be a medical doctor, he just wanted to help people. He never expected to become a caregiver and watch the man he loves decline in front of him. He didn’t know what he missed more, Tony talking a mile a minute-or his touches. Nothing works anymore-he can’t walk, he can’t use his hands-is confined to a bed or motorized wheelchair; the last to go-thankfully- was his voice. Bruce knew it was only a matter of time before he would be alone again. He and Tony had talked about it since his diagnoses. The papers had been drawn up by lawyers and everything was planned out. Bruce sighed thumbing the tears that threatened to fall. He didn’t want to be doing this-he wanted his husband back-he wanted to go old with him. But like he told Natasha back in Calcutta all those years ago-he didn’t always get what he wanted.


End file.
